Combined manually and mechanically operated piano.



No. 837,687. v PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906. 13. J. KNABE, JR- & H. MALLEBRE. COMBINED MANUALLY AND MEOHANIOALLY OPERATED PIANO.

APPLIQATION FILED JUNE 3,1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No 837,687. PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906.

E. J.'KNABE, JR. 8:; H. MALLEBRE.

COMBINED MANUALLY AND .MECHANIOALLY OPERATED PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3,1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2;

No. 837,687. PATENTED 13138.4, 1906.

JR. 8: H. MALLEBRB. COMBINED MANUALLY AND M E. J. KNABE EOHANIGALLY OPERATED PIANO. APPLICATION r ILED JUNE 3,1905.

3 SHEETS-SKBET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

ERNEST J. KNABE, JR., AND HENRY MALLEBRE, OF BALTIMORE, MARY- LAND, ASSIGNORS TO THE ,VVM. KNABE 8: CO. MANUFACTURING COM- PANY OF BALTIMORE CITY, OF BALTIMORE. MARYLAND, A CORPORA- TION OF MARYLAND.

COMBINED MANUALLY AND MECHAN'ICALLY OPERATED PIANO.

Patented net. 4., 1906.

Application filed June 3, 1905. Serial No. 263-566.

To all whmn it may concern:

10 of the invention,sucl1 as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to combined'pneumatic and manually-operated instruments in which the mechanical player is incorporated in the construction of the piano. These instruments may be played manually by fingering the keyboard or mechanically by operation of the pneumatics upon the p1ano-action.

The main objects of our invention are, first, to preserve the same quality of touch when the instrument is played manually as in standard manuallyoperated pianos and,

second, to prevent the bobbing up and'down of the keys while the instrument ls'being operated mechanically. -These objects are attained by improved mechanism, substantially as illustrated in the accompanying 3o drawings, which represent one preferred embodiment of our invention, and are to be taken as a part of this specification.

The invention will hereinafter be fully described with reference to said drawings and 3 5 then particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In said draWings'Figure' 1 is a cross-sectional view through the keyboard and action of a piano, showing the mechanism of 40 the pinao-action associated with one key and. the correspondinghammer actuated thereby. This view illustrates the action of the instrument when played manually. The full lines show the position of the mechanism when the key is up and the dotted lines show the position of the mechanism when the key has been. ,dep'ressed. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating the action of the instrument when 0 erated by the mechanical player.

The full nes represent the normal position of the mechanism and the dotted lines indicate the movement of vthe mechanism by the pneumatic striker. Fig. Bis a fragmentary thicker and threade tween the rear of t e key lever 3 and the section taken transversely of the key behind the locking-rail and looking toward the pianoaction; Fig. 4 is a .etail perspective View showing the upper and lower front panels of the piano-case, a device for automatically opening the lower panel whenever the-upper one is opened, and the locking-rail actuated by the same device for automatically locking the keys while the instrument is played me-' chanically.

'The invention being applicable to any ordinary self-playing and manually-operated instrument, we have illustrated a piano-action of conventional type wherein the ham- .mer is actuated in the usual way byits under lever or the rocker or wippen 2, pivoted to the under side of the action-bar 1.

The piano-keys 3 when fingered act upon the vertically-arranged rods 4, which actuate the rockers or wippens 2 to cause the hammers to strike upon the strings. The strikers of the pneumatics act upon the same rods 4 to actuate the piano-action when the instrument is operated mechanically. As will be seen,'these two means for actuating the action are entirely independent.

Preferably the rod 4 is not positively connected with the wi pen 2. Instead it is equipped at its hea with a wedge-shaped piece 5, which engages in a curved or rounded notch in the under side of the wippen. The lower part 6 of the rod is thin and passes loosely through a slot in the rear end of the key or key-lever 3. Above the rear end of the key-lever at the (point 7, Where the rod is the capstan-screw 8 is screwed thereon, resting upon the rear end of 0 the key, which thereby lifts the rod when the front end of the key is depressed by the erformers fin er. This ca stair-screw al ows regulation 0 the len h o therod actingbe- 95 Wippen 2 of the piano-action. At 1ts lowest point the rod is swelled into a head 9, which rests u on the upper end of a verticallymovab e rod or striker 10., this being the striker of the pneumatic playing apparatus. Said rod 4 slides up and down inbearin s 11, the up er one above the key and the ower one be 0w the key. These bearings may be guide-bearings in rails arran ed in the ianocase longitudinally of the key card.

red I eup- 1'05 per bearing 11 prevents-the rod from moving laterally, but allows a slight forward and backward movement, so that the head of the wedge can accom'modate itself to the slight arc in which it is caused to travel reasonof the member 2 being pivoted or hinged. The lower bearing allows only anv ing thestriker or by the striker Without at fecting the key, since-the thin, portion 6 of rod of such standard instruments.

the rod passes loosely through the slotted rear end of the key. By reason of absence of any positive connection between the pneumatic striking mechanism and the rod or between such mechanism and the key the manipulation of the keys operates the piano with the same ease and quality of touch attainable in standard manually-played instruments, since the keys are free to move as usual without liftin or otherwise exerting force in movement otthe strikers or any part of the mechanically-operated mechanism, and the weight of the rod 4 is no greater than that ofthe ordinary abstract or extension On the other hand, by reason of absence of positive connection between the key-lever and the rod and between the key-lever and the striker the operation of the piano-action by the strikers of the pneumatic apparatus is effected without movement of the keys, which may be locked during automatic playing by means hereinafter to be described, thus preventing the bobbing anc. down of the keys, which is so annoying to many performers. Furthermore, our construction is exceedingly simple and compact and avoids com 'flieations or interference with either the piano-action or the strings.

To maintain. the front ends of the keys in their normal elevated position during the operation of the piano by the pneumatic apparatus, we utilize a movable rail 13, which in one position allows free manipulation of the keys, while in another position it bears against or upon the rear portions of the keylevers and holds them. down, thus preventing the front ends of the keys from moving downward from" their normal position. This locking-rail 13) is of course arranged behind the pivots oi the keys and is shown hinged to brackets or standards let, which are located in the opposite sides of the piano-case or at opposite ends ol" ihe keyboard.

The rail is operated by a revoluble actuating-rod 15, having a crank 16 slidably connected with the rail, as bypassing said crank through a loop 17 at the front side of the rail.

key-lever, when the rail is forced :to

position by'the actuating-rod. j Said actu-' In one position-of the actuating-rodl5 the the rail into contact with the key-levers. As shown, the lower edge of the rail engages upon the huinp-18 on thelupper side of the locking ating-rod 15- isQa (member of an automatic pedal-exposing device, such as shown and described in the pendingv a plication of Ernest J. Knabe,.-Jr., filed Apr-i 253,226, the function of said device being to. automatically open the lower front 1, 1905, Serial No.

door or panel which covers the pedal movement in the lower. part of the case whenever the performer opens the upper front panel in the upper part of the case.

19 denotes the sliding front panel in the upperp'art' of the case, behind which is contained the usual mechanism (not shown) for controlling the pneumatics, (tracker-bar traversed by a perforated web or note-sheet.) At the rear side of the said panel is a wedge or trippet 20. When the panel is slid open for the purpose of placing the music-roll in position when the instrument is to be mechanically operated, the wedge or. trippet 20 'engages an arm 21 on the actuating-rod 15, and thereby turns said arm, causing its crank 16 to force the locking-rail 13 into engagement with the rear ends of the. keylevers.

At the lower end 01? the actuating-rod 1.5 is an arm 22, which engages the upper end of an intermediately-lirlcrumed lever 23, the lower end of which lever serves as a latch and engages in anotch or socket in the upper edgeof the hinged lower trap-door 24, being held therein by the spring 25. When the upper panel is slid open, the same turn of the actuating-rod 15 which forces the lockingraila upon the key levers also rocks the lever 2.3 against the resistance of the spring 25', thus unlatching the lower trapdoor and allowing it to fall outward and expose the pedals of the automatic player. The locking-rail 18 may also be operated by a link or wedge-connection with a vertically movable actuating-rod in the event of employing such a vertically-movable rod for operating the lower trap-door, as illustrated in two alternative forms in the aforesaid application of Ernest .J. Knabe, Jr.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a combined manually and mechanically operated instrument, the combination of a key-lever, a wippen-actuating rod supportable and operable thereby, said rod passing loosely through the key-lever and. liltable independently thereof, and a mechanicallyof saidwippen, said rod having a thin por-- operated striker Operating on the rod below i I t e key-lever. y 2. Ina combined manually and mechanically operated instrument, the combination of a key lever, a mechanically operated striker or lifter arranged and operating un. der the rear end of the key-lever, and a wip pen-actuating rod vertically disposed above the rear end of the key-lever and extending through the same, said rod being directly supportable and operable both by the'keylever and subjacent striker, therebeing no positive connection between the rod and Key-lever or striker, nor between the key-lever andstriker. y 3. In a combined manually and mechanically operated instrument, the combination of the rocker or wippen of a piano-action, a key-lever, a rod for actuating the wi pen passing through a slot in the rear end 0 the key-lever and having a shoulder resting on said key-lever, and a mechanically-operated strlker operating on the lower end of said rod. 4. In a combined manually and mechanlca'lly operated instrument, the combination of the rocker or wi pen of a piano-action, a

key-lever, a vertica ly-movable rod for actu the wippen having a thin portion enloosely through a slot in the rear end of the key lever, a capstan-screw screwed upon said rod above the key-lever and resting thereon, and a mechanically-operated striker operating on the lower end of said rod.

5. In a combined mechanically and manually operated instrument, the combination of the rocker or wippen of a. ianowaction, a key-lever, a vertically-movab' e rod for 'actuatlng the wippen having a wedge-shaped head engaging in a notch in the under side tion passing loose'ly through a slot in the rear end of the key-lever and having a swell or enlargement at its lower end, a capstanscrew screwed on said rod above thekylever and restingthereon, and a mechanically-o erated striker operating on the lower end 0 said rod.

6. In a combined'manually'and mechanically operated instrument, the combination'bf a key-lever, a wippen-actuating rod passing loosely'through the key-lever, an adjustable capstan-screw supported by the key-lever and'supporting sa1 rod, whereby the rod is operated by the key-lever, and a mechanica l y-operated striker operating on the rod be low the key-lever;

' 7.. The combination of a key-lever, a mechemically-operated striker below the rear.

end thereof, a wippen-actuating'rod vertically'disposed at 1 nd extending through the rear end of the ke l-lever above the Sub acent striker and directl liftable thereby, and means whereby sai rod is directly supportable pane able and liftable by the ke -lever, said means being adjustable to regu ate the operative length of said rod above the key-lever.

8. The combination of a key-lever, a mechanically-operated striker disposed below the key-lever, a wippenactuatin rod eX-' tending through at the rear end OI the keylever, and means for lifting said rod either from the key-lever or striker.

"" 9. The combination of a keyelever, a wi pen-actuating rod extending through at t e 'rear end of said key-lever and supported thereby, said rod being operable by said keylever, and a mechanically operated striker or lifter o' eratin on the lower end of the rod below t e keyever.

10. In a combined manually and mechanically operated instrument, the combination of the manual-keys, a movable element, a

ing shoulders thereon, a hinged locking-rail,

arranged transversely of the key-levers and normally out of contact therewith, allowing free movement of the keys, and means for moving the rail into contact with said shoulders to lock the keys.

13. The combination of the key-levers, a sliding tracker-bar cover, a hinged lockingrail arranged transversely of the keys, and a vertically-disposed revoluble rod actuated by the opening movement of the tracker-bar cover and operating on said lockin -ra1l to move the same into contact with 't e keylever.

14. A combined manually and mechanic-.- ally operated instrument having, in combi- 110 sin the case for covering res ectively the pneumatic operating or contro ingdevices and the pedal movement, and a con--.

nation, upper and lower front doors or movnecting mechanism between said panels for automatically effecting the opening of the lower one by the o ening of the upper one, a piano-action,-keyevers for actuating'the instrument manually, strikers for operating the same mechanically,; there being no connection between the ke levers and the strlkers, and a locking device for the key-levers actuated by the said connecting mechanism.

15. Ina selflaying piano, the combination of keys, a evice for playin the iano' Without the use of said keys, said evice eing pi: ovided with pedals,,said keys being normall. free to operate, locking means for the psda s and means for simultaneously locking said keys against action and unlockinglthe keys norniallyfi'ee to be opei'ated by a pedals for action.

16. In a self-playing piano, the admbinat10n 0f the keys, a device for operating the pianowithout the use of said keys, said device including pedals and interlocking devices between said keys and saiddevice whereby the keys are locked when the pedals are un'-- locked, and vice versa.

17. In a self-playingpianmthe ednibination of a device for. laying the Fiand withoiut uding peda s,

the use of keys, sai device 1110 layer, 'a-lock for the keys and means for lheking said pedals out of action-as long as the keys are free to be operated. I

In test mony whereof we affix our signzb tures in presenceof two witnesses.

ERNEST J. KNABE, J3: HENRY MALLEB 1E." Witnesses:

' FELIX R. SULLIVAN, BENJAMIN W. SMITH. 

